Meet Public Safety’s Dynamic 24/7 needs with Vector Scheduling

Meet Public Safety’s Dynamic 24/7 needs with Vector Scheduling
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June 1, 2021

Resource: Blog Industry: Public Safety
Tags: Online Training, Vector LMS and Training Management

Vector Scheduling Web and mobile app Vector Scheduling is a user-friendly, rules-based workforce management tool designed to automate and simplify Public Safety's complex shift structures and scheduling needs.

Scheduling's easily accessible web-based platform with a native app offers agencies a simpler way to manage shift scheduling and process annual PTO blocks (time-offs or auctions), time-off requests/approvals, overtime assignments, trades, and payroll processing.

Here are ten ways Vector Scheduling addresses Public Safety’s dynamic 24/7 scheduling needs.

1. Helps ensure fair and transparent distribution of overtime.

  • Overtime priority can be tracked by rank (hours or seniority).
  • The platform keeps detailed record logs so you can see who did what, which is transparency that manual spreadsheets or pen/paper systems do not have.
  • Everyone gains confidence that overtime is distributed correctly and fairly.

2. Public safety professionals may be required to work beyond their scheduled shift when incidents span over multiple hours. Overtime hours must be properly tracked and managed so that personnel get the rest and reprieve they need, while ensuring shift coverage across the various roles and jurisdictions.

  • Vector Scheduling helps agencies track and monitor overtime to help keep personnel within their labor union and agency guidelines.

3. The system also enables self-scheduling to an assignment, which can be set to require supervisor approval, so if an officer is held over his/her shift for an incident, he/she can self-assign themselves to modify the schedule. Eliminates the time-consuming manual creation of building schedules by hand, on spreadsheets, or paper calendars.

4. The platform can be customized for most any shift type.

5. Calling officers, firefighters, telecommunicators, or other emergency professionals to cover open shifts or for unplanned events and emergencies is a regular occurrence; Vector Scheduling's Callback feature automates the process so that staff are not tied up making phone calls.

6. The Scheduling Assistant Module creates qualifiers for positions, so if a person doesn't meet the qualifier, they cannot be assigned to the position; agencies can have the system "advise" or "automate" this process.

  • Ensures agencies are "hiring" or calling back personnel that are properly trained/qualified for the shift.
  • Removes manual work and guesswork from the process.

7. Clearly displays the various positions needing to be staffed for public safety agencies across multiple roles. Each agency has different specialties to staff for, which varies by discipline and location. For example:

  • A police department may staff for traffic patrol, detective, k9, marine patrol, SWAT, and correctional duties.
  • A Fire Department may staff firefighters and drivers on multiple engines across multiple stations, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), aircraft rescue, boat operators, and other specialties. See Dunedin Fire Department case study.
  • Emergency Communications Centers may staff call takers, radio operators, dispatchers, training officers, incident (tactical) dispatchers, multi-lingual telecommunicators, and other specialties. See Los Alamos County Dispatch case study.

8. Payroll reports, department-wide project codes, overtime summaries, and other standard Scheduling reports help streamline payroll process and employee analysis.

  • Tracks payroll details and time and attendance, allowing agencies to save valuable time every payroll period.
  • Export data to process in agencies' systems such as payroll and records; an optional API allows other vendors to develop interface(s) to exchange data with Vector Scheduling.
  • Justify funding in budget meetings; for example, Fire Departments can show their municipal leaders the amount of overtime hours being used for wildland fighting.

9. The integration between Vector LMS and Scheduling offers single sign-on and an easy way to assign training to whoever was on-shift "today's" training.

10. Enables staff and supervisors to easily check their schedules and process time-off requests, shift swaps, and more from their mobile device.

Learn more about how Vector Scheduling's flexible and customizable features can help simplify your agency's scheduling. Request a demo.

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